Gang-plow.



N. I. MILLIKEN.

GANG PLOW.

APPLIGATION FILED $22111, 1913.

Patented Se t. 29, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

ME omRS all-LI I J y [N VEN T OR Attorney mtg/Ja -45 THE NORRIS PEYERS 60., PHOTO-LITHO., WASMINGYON, D. c.

N. I. MILLIKEN.

GANG PLOW.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 11, 1913.

1, 1 12,079, Patented Sept. 29, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

THE NORRIS PETERS 60.. PHOTD-LITHO., WASHINGTON, D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NORMAN I. MILLIKEN, OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO oLIvnRcHILLED PLOW WORKS, or SOUTH BEND, I DIANA.

GANG-PLOW. I

Specification of Letters Patent.

Original application filed June 19, 1.913., Serial No. 774,669; Divided and this application filed September 11, 1913. Serial No 789,364.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NORMAN I. MILLIKEN, of South Bend, in the county of St. Joseph and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gang- Ilows; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in gang plows and isa division of m application No. 774,669, filed June 19th, 1918.

The object of this invention is to provide improved means for lifting the plow beams and the plows, and it consists in the features of construction and combinations of parts as will be more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of one of the plow beams of my improved gang plow; and Fig.

2 is a plan view of the same.

1 represents the plow beam which is formed of the channel bars 2 and 3, and is pivotally and adjustably connected at its forward end to the plow frame.

19 is a vertical sleeve mounted upon a plate 20 which is bolted to one of the channel bars of the beam. A sliding post 21 is mounted in the sleeve and is free to slide vertically therein. The sliding post is raised and lowered by means of a hand lever 22 pivotally mounted in the upper end of a bracket 28, and a connecting rod 24, the upper end of which is pivoted between the depending ends of two triangular plates 25 secured to hand lever 22, while its lower end is pivoted to a sleeve 26 firmly secured to the sliding post near its lower end. Upon the lower end of the sliding post is mounted a sleeve 27 which is free to rotate and is upheld by engagement of an annular flange 28 on its upper end with an annular flange 29 on the lower end of the non-rotatable sleeve 26. A caster gage wheel 30 is mounted on an axle 31 carried by the trailing arms 32, the forward ends of which are fastened to the rotary movable sleeve 27. The hand lever is locked in any desired adjustment by means of a spring actuated bolt or catch which engages the teeth of sector racks 34:, the lower ends of which are fastened to a projection 35 on the sleeve 19, while their upper ends are supported by arms 37, the lower ends of which are fastened to the bracket 23. a As spiral spring 39 is connected with the plow beam by a link 40, while its upper end is connected with the triangular plates 25 on the hand lever.

When it is desired to lift the plow beam and plow attached thereto, the hand lever is forced downwardly and the upper end of the connecting rod 24;, to which the lever is pivotally connected, serves as its fulcrum and causes the rear end of the lever to lift the plow beam and plow. The arrangement of the connecting rod 24: with relation to the sliding post 21, is such as toenable the plow beam to be lifted or vertically adjusted with the minimum expenditure of power and avoid friction of engaging surfaces. As the caster gage wheel is located in rear of the sliding post, the weight of the plow beam tends to tilt the lower end of the post rearwardly and its upper end forwardly. In Order to counteract this tendency and reduce the friction between the sliding post and the vertical sleeve in which it is mounted, when the plow beam is raised and lowcred, the connecting rod is located in rear of the sliding post and connected to its lower end, whereby the power is transmitted through the connecting rod to the sliding post in the operation of lifting the beam in a direction which tends to tilt the lower end of the sliding post forwardly and its upper end rearwardly and thereby counteract the tendency of the weight of the beam to tilt the post in the opposite direction. By the foregoing arrangement of parts the friction between the sliding post and its sleeve is minimized and the manipulation of the parts is greatly facilitated.

The spiral spring39, is so arranged with relation to the hand lever that when the latter is raised to its highest and least effective position, the spring is stretched to its maximum extent and exerts its maximum force in assisting the plowman to raise the plow beam. As the hand lever is forced downwardly in the operation of lifting the beam, the effective power of the lever is increased and that of the spring is gradually decreased, and hence there is a mutual cooperation of these two instrumentalities in raising and lowering the plow.

It is evident that many slight changes Patented Sept. 29, 1914.. j

might be resorted to in the relative arrangement of parts shown and described without departing from the spirit and scope'of my invention. Hence I would have it understood that I do not wish to confine myself to the exact construction and arrangement of parts shown and described but 2. In a gang plow, the combination of a plow beam, a sleeve fixed thereto, a vertically sliding post passing through said fixed sleeve, a sleeve swiveled to the lower end of the sliding post, arms secured to said swiveled sleeve, a caster gage wheel mounted between said arms, a hand lever fulcrumed on the plow beam, and a connecting rod connected with the hand lever and with the rear side of the lower end of the sliding post above the swiveled sleeve.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

NORMAN I. MILLIKEN.

Witnesses:

LOUISE A. MANN, H. S. Bn'r'rs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

- Washington, D. G." 

